…since we stepped foot on American soil to begin this sabbatical. We didn’t actually begin until March of this year, but still we’ve been here for a year. I do believe this has been the longest stint on this soil since 2004. Crazy. This marker begs for a “look back.” You know, a stopping and looking at what God has done over the past year. It’s a good thing because it encourages you (me) that progress has been and is being made. Here’s what my “look back” stumbled upon…
He’s helped me to let go and trust. Being point leaders and handing over responsibilities to others isn’t easy. It’s not because we didn’t trust those we were handing to (quite the opposite actually) but because our blood, sweat, and tears were poured into this thing and to let it go openly, if only for a season, is one of the hardest things to do.
He has shown me how much I put expectations on myself and how I feel the weight of them instead of releasing them to God.
He’s reinforced my values of community, discipleship, creativity, and healthy living during this season. I was quite relieved to realize those were indeed still values. I just needed a little break from some elements of those things.
He’s shown me the importance of dreaming.
I’ve seen the importance of resting and relaxing and that I need to incorporate it into my life regularly. I’ve also realized that life goes way too fast and that I need to stop and enjoy instead of whizzing by at top speed!
Some of these things are still a work in progress, but as I look back on the place I was a year ago, I can see that God has done so much. I came back here drained of everything in me. I was dry to the bone. Every day that we’ve been back dryness has been replaced with life and energy. I’m sure many people have the thought, “How much longer?” Honestly, I have that same thought. How much longer will this sabbatical last, God? The only way I know to answer that is that our trust is in Him and we know not the time nor the season, but He does. And so I continue to engage God, seeking what He might have for me around every turn, and trusting Him in the process. I know there will be another “look back” at the end of this sabbatical, and I look forward to what I will see.
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